Inking mechanism



Aug. 1958 J. T. DAVIDSON 2,845,864

INKING MECHANISM Filed Jan. 21, 1953 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

JOHN T. DAVIDSON ATTORNEY Aug. 5, 1958 J. T. DAVIDSON 2,845,864

INKING MECHANISM 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 21, 1953 INVENTOR JOHN T.DAVIDSON nmwum A TORNEY 5, 1958 J. 'r. DAVIDSON 2,845,864

INKING MECHANISM Filed n- 1953 3 Sheets-Sheet s INVENTOR. JOHN T.DAVIDSON BY mm m AT ORNEY United States Patent INKING MECHANISM John T.Davidson, Dayton, Ohio, assiguor to The Standard Register Company,Dayton, Ohio, a corporation ofOhio Application January 21, 1953, SerialNo. 332,213

1 Claim. (Cl. 101-350) This invention relates to roll imprinters, andparticularly to self contained apparatus in such devices for inking theprinting cylinder.

The object of the invention is to simplify the construction as well asthe means and mode of operation of inking mechanisms whereby suchmechanisms may not only be economically manufactured, but will be moreefiicient and satisfactory in use, adaptable to a wide variety ofprinting rolls, and be unlikely to get out of repair.

An object of the invention is to achieve uniform ink feeding anddistribution in connection with printing cylinders of varying size.

Another object of the invention is to provide for controlled ink feedingin such manner that the ink applying means may receive, at will, greateror lesser amounts of ink.

A further object of the invention is to enable an adjustment ofparallelism of the ink applying means relatively to the printingcylinder.

Still another object of the invention is to contain the inking apparatusin an assembly of parts, which can be installed in and removed from theimprinter as a unit.

A still further object of the invention is to mount the inking apparatuson a carriage for adjustment to and from engaged position with respectto the printing cylinder.

Still another object of the invention is to provide means for definingan engaged position of the inking apparatus, such means being adjustableto vary the engaged position in accordance with the diameter of theprinting cylinder.

Still another object of the invention is to connect and disconnect theinking apparatus from its operating power source, in conjunction withthe movements thereof to the aforementioned engaged and disengagedpositions.

A further object of the invention is to provide inking mechanismpossessing the advantageous structural features, the inherentmeritorious characteristics and the mode of operation herein mentioned.

With the above primary and other incidental objects in view as will morefully appear in the specification, the invention intended to beprotected by Letters Patent consists of the features of construction,the parts and combinations thereof, and the mode of operation, ashereinafter described or illustrated in the accompanying drawings, ortheir equivalents.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, wherein is shown one, butobviously not necessarily the only embodiment of the invention,

Fig. l is a view in perspective, and partly broken away, of inkingapparatus in accordance with the illustrated embodiment of theinvention;

Fig. 2 is a view taken substantially along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, andshowing the inking unit installed in the imprinter in conjunction withadjustment means therefor;

Fig. 3 is a detail view, in side elevation, of elements of the inkfeeding mechanism;

Fig. 4 is a partly diagrammatic view, showing the drive to and withinthe inking unit;

Fig. 5 is a detail view, showing the means for making paralleladjustments of the Contact roll;

Fig. 6 is a detail view, in perspective, of the means for releasablylocking the inking unit to the adjustable carriage;

Fig. 7 is a detail view, in side elevation, of a pawl and ratchetmechanism for advancing the fountain roll;

Fig. 8 is a detail view, in plan, of the means for reciprocating thepower roll;

Fig. 9 is a detail view in side elevation, and partly diagrammatic, ofthe devices of Fig. 8;

Fig. l0is a fragmentary view, partly broken away, of an adjustmentcontrol for the devices shown in Fig. 3.

Like parts are indicated by similar characters of reference throughoutthe several views.

Referring to the drawings, and particularly to Fig. 2, the rollimprinter in accordance with the illustrated embodiment of theinvention, comprises spaced apart stationary side frames 15 (one shown).Also forming a part of the roll imprinting machine is a printingcylinder 16, indicated diagrammatically in Fig. 2 and shown also in Fig.4. The side frames 15 provide a recessed slideway 17 in the adjacentfacing side walls thereof. The slideways 17 receive laterally projectingrails on a mounting plate or carriage 19 which is thus supported forlongitudinal sliding movements between the side frames 15, the permittedmovement of the carriage 19 being in advancing and retracting directionsrelative to the printing cylinder 16.

Each rail 18 has a stud 21 projecting laterally therefrom through a slot22 in the adjacent side frame 15. A lock nut 23 is installed on the stud21 externally of the frame 15 and can be adjusted into and out offrictional engagement with the wall or frame 15, to hold the carriage 19in selected adjusted positions in the slideways 17.

To effect movement thereof, the carriage or mounting plate 19 has a rack24 fastened to its underside. In meshing engagement with the rack 24 isa pinion 25 on a shaft 26. The shaft 26 is journaled in the sideframes15. It projects through and beyond one of the frames 15 and on suchprojecting end is secured a knob 27 for hand rotation of the shaft 26.It will be apparent that by turning the knob 27 in a leftward orcounterclockwise direction the carriage 19 may be advanced toward theprinting cylinder 16 and that by turning the knob in the opposite orclockwise direction an opposed or retracting motion of the carriage 19will result.

Performing a locating function in connection with the carriageadjustment mechanism is a stop arm 28 made fast to the shaft 26intermedite the knob 27 and frame 15, and a cooperating lock plate 29mounted on the frame 15 for relative arcuate swinging motion by reasonof a pinin-slot connection indicated at 31. Clamp means 32 are providedfor holding the locking plate 29 in a selected position of arcuateadjustment. It will be apparent that if the locking means 32 isloosened, and if the 'nuts 23 are loosened, then the shaft 26 may beturned freely in a counterclockwise direction to advance the carriage 19toward the printing cylinder 16. When a selected location of thecarriage 19 relative to the printing cylinder has been achieved, theadvancing motion of the carriage is stopped and the lock nuts 23 areturned down to hold the carriage in such selected position. Further, thelock plate 29 may be brought to engagement with a turned over end 33 onthe arm 28, if it is not already soengaged, and the clamp means 32 canbe reapplied to hold the plate 29 so positioned. The plate 29 servesto'positively define theselected advanced position of the carriage 19,and the carriage can at will be retracted from and re- 3 advanced tosuch position with the assurance that it can always be returnedaccurately to the initially defined position.

The lock plate 29 may, if desired, be placed under the influence of asuitable spring, urging it to engagement with the turned over end 33' ofthe arm 28. The plate 29 thereby assumes the status of a. followerrelatively to the arm 28, and is automatically set to adjusted positionby turning of the arm 28.

The carriage 19 supports an assembly of elements for applying ink to theprinting cylinder 16, or more particularly to the type or other printingelements 34 (Fig. 4) set in the periphery thereof. The inking assemblyincludes a contact roll 35 which is moved by the aforementionedadjustments of the carriage 19 to engaged and disengaged positionsrelative to the printing cylinder. It will be understood that thelocking adjustment afforded by the plate 29 previously described, hasreference to and is used to define the engaged position of the contactroll 35 with respect to the cylinder 16. It will be further understoodthat such engaged position will vary with variations in the diameter ofthe cylinder 16.

The assembly of elements comprising the inking apparatus is supported bya pair of auxiliary side frames 36 and 37 secured to a base plate 38.The plate 38 rests ,upon and is detachably connected to the carriage 19for motion with the carriage. The arrangement accordingly is such thatthe inking apparatus is advanceable and retractable as a unit in theimprinting machine. Further, when it is desired to change inking unitsin the machine, as for purposes of a color change, the one inking unitcan be removed from the machine simply by turning the knob 27 in aclockwise direction to retract the carriage 19 and by then lifting theplate 38 from the carriage, a new or another inking unit being replacedin the machine by following the same steps in inverse order.

For purposes of a quick connect and disconnect of the plate 38 relativeto the carriage 19, there is provided a latch mechansm between thedevices, as shown in Fig. 6. Thus, the plate 38 supports a bracket 39which in turn mounts a rod or plunger 41 in perpendicular slidingrelation to the plate 38. The lower end of the plunger 41 extendsthrough and beyond the plate 38 and has an irregularly shaped plate 42fastened thereteo. At the upper end of the plunger 41 is a fingeroperated lever 43, and a compression spring 44 urges the plunger 41 inan axially upward direction. The carriage plate 19 has an opening 45therein corresponding in shape to the plate 42. By depressing theplunger 41 axially,

against the resistance of spring 44, the plate 42 may be passed throughthe opening 45. The lever 43 then is turned to move the plate 42 out ofregistry with the opening 45, and when released, the plate 38 and thecarriage 19 are locked together. The lock mechanism described may bereleased merely by turning the lever 43 until the plate 42 againstregisters with the opening 45. The spring 44 then will cause the plate42 to rise in the opening 45, and the plate 38 may be simply lifted fromthe carriage 19.

The elements of the inking assembly include, in addition to the contactroll 35, a power roll 46, a fountain roll 47, idler rolls 48 and 49 anda transmission roll 51. The rolls 35, 48, 49 and 51 are made of steelbut present relatively soft peripheral surfaces by reason of rubber orrubber-like coverings. The rolls 46 and 47 are made of uncovered steel.

The fountain roll 47 is journaled between the side frames 36 and 37. Asshown in Fig. 4, it defines in conjunction with a tray 52 an ink well53. The relationship between the fountain roll 47 and the tray 52 isvariable by movement of adjustment screws 54, through the adjustments ofwhich flow out of the well 53 upon the sur face of the fountain roll 47may be variably constricted.

The transmission roll 51 is rotatably mounted between the outer ends ofa pair of arms 55 connected at their 4' inner ends to a shaft 56supported between the frames 36 and 37. ,The arms 55 are of two-partconstruction to provide for a relative rocking adjustment under controlof a pair of set screws 57. A roller 58 on each arm 55 rides on thesurface of a cam 59 on a shaft 61 journaled in the frames 36 and 37. Theearns 59 are similarly shaped so that the arms 55, and roll 51 supportedthereby,

- may be raised and lowered in a cycle of motion once during eachrevolution of the shaft 61.

Each cam 59 includes a pair of arcuate segments 62 (Fig. 3) pivotallyconnected to one another at their one ends and interconnected by aspring 63 at their other ends. A pair of pins 64 (Fig. 10) are installedin the hub of the cam in position to be spread apart by a screw 65received in the tapped outer end of shaft 61. In this manner thediameter of the cam 59 may, in effect, be varied in the interests ofobtaining the proper pressural engagement of the roll 51 with the roll47. The adjustment screws 57 serve a similar purpose, rocking one partof the arm relatively to the other part for contact of the roll 51 withthe roll 47 at an earlier or later point in the rotation of shaft 61.

While in engagement with the roll 47, the roll 51 receives ink which hasbeen deposited on the surface of the roll 47 by reason of its rotationrelative to the tray 52. Descending into contact with the roll 49, theroll 51 transfers the ink to the surface of this roll and thence to thepower roll 46 and the contact roll 35. The roll 48 serves a smoothing orleveling function in connection with the film of ink on the power rolljust prior to its reaching the contact roll 35.

The drive of the inking apparatus, whereby the above describedoperations are carried out, is derived from the printing cylinder 16which is positively rotated, in a suitable manner, during operation ofthe imprinting machine. As shown in Fig. 4, the cylinder 16 has a gear66 thereon meshing with a gear 67 rotatably mounted on the frame 36. Inthe previously defined engaged position of the inking unit, the gears 66and 67 are meshed and an effective drive is established from theprinting cylinder to the inking unit. In the disengaged position,however, the gears 66 and 67 are separated and such drive isinterrupted. It may be said, therefore, that the driving connection tothe inking unit is enabled and disabled in correspondenc with and as aresult of the engaging and disengaging of the contact roll 35 withrespect to the cylinder 16.

The gear 67 is continuously meshed with a gear 68, fast on one end ofthe power roll 46, and also is continuously meshed with a gear 69 on oneend of a shaft 71 supported between the frames 36 and 37. Rotation ofthe gear 67, therefore, is directly effective to rotate the power roll46 and the shaft 71. The opposite end of the shaft 71 has a bevel gear72 thereon meshing with a like gear 73 on one end of a shaft 74rotatably mounted on the plate 38 in parallel relation to the side frame37. Formed on the shaft 74 are first and second worms 75 and 76, theformer meshing with a gear 77 fast on a stub shaft 78 set in the frame37. Also fast on the stub shaft 78 is a gear 79 meshing with anothergear 81 on the cam shaft 61. Rotation of the cam shaft 61 accordingly iseffected by the direct drive initiated from the cylinder 16', and itwill be observed that the construction and arrangement of parts is suchthat the roll 46', the stub shaft 78 and the cam shaft 61 rotatecontinuously with rotation of the printing cylinder 16, in the engagedposition of the inking unit. The idler rolls 35, 48 and 49 also rotatecontinuously due to their frictional contact with the power roll 46.

The worm 76 meshes'with a gear 82 fast on a stub shaft 83 rotatablymounted in the frame 37. A crank disc 84 also is secured to the shaft 83and carries an eccentrically located pin 85. Connected to the pin 85 isone end of an escapement type linkage 86 terminating at its other end ina pivoted pawl 87. The pawl 87 is cooperable with a ratchet 88, fast onthe shaft of roll 47, to advance or turn the roll 47 in step by stepfashion in response to rotation of the crank disc 84. The latter, sinceit is directly connected to the worm shaft 74, turns continuously in theoperation of the inking unit. The extent of advance of the roll 47during each revolution of the crank disc 84 is predetermined, and may,for example, correspond to the distance of three tooth spaces of theratchet 88. Means for varying the length of the step by step movementsof the fountain roll 47 is represented by a longitudinally slottedsleeve 89 rotatably adjustable on the roll 47. In the manner .ofsubstantially equivalent line spacing devices of typewriters, the sleeve89 holds the pawl 87 up out of engagement with the teeth of ratchet 88during greater or lesser parts of the ratchet feeding movement. Byadjustment of the sleeve 89, therefore, the increments of motion of thefountain roll 47 may be selectively lengthened or reduced.

The cams 59 for raising and lowering the transmission roll 51 are madeto hold the roll 51 in contact with the roll 47 for a period at least aslong as is required for the maximum length step of the fountain roll,and it will be understood that the period of dwell of the transmissionroll on the fountain roll is made to coincide with the period of advanceof the fountain roll. In any event, a ribbon or band of ink of variablelength is deposited on the fountain roll 47 and transmitted to the roll51 once for each oscillatory cycle of the roll 51. Such ink istransferred to the roll 49 and then reaches the contact roll 35 inresponse to continued operation of the unit, in the manner beforedescribed.

As an aid to distribution of the ink over the power roll 46 and on thecontact roll 35, the roll 46 is given a compound motion wherein it isreciprocated axially as well as rotated. To effect this operation theroll 46 has an extension 92 thereon projecting through and beyond theframe 37. Secured to the extension 92 is a sleeve 93 having acircumferential groove 94 therein. A similar sleeve 95 is mounted on anextension 96 of the constantly rotating stub shaft 78, but has aneccentric groove 97. Received in the grooves 94 and 97 are respectiverollers 98 and 99 on a lever 101 pivotally mounted on a stud 102. Thelatter has an upstanding mounting in the plate 38 and is surrounded by abushing 103 which is in directly supporting relation to the lever 101.It will be evident that in response to rotation of the stub shaft 78,the described construction and arrangement of parts is such as toreciprocate the power roll 46 on its longitudinal axis.

There is further provided in the inking unit an adjustment for tiltingthe contact roll 35 relatively to the printing cylinder 16' to insure aneven and uniform inking of the cylinder over its full width. To this endthe roll 35 is mounted in bifurcated arms 10'4 pivotally mounted on areduced diameter shaft portion of roll 46'. Rotatably mounted on thesame shaft portion, and connected to respective arms 104 are worm gears105. Engaged with each gear 105 is a worm 106 on an adjustment stud 107,the respective studs 107 extending upward in the unit for hand rotation.In response to such rotation the arms 104 move to effect approaching andwith drawing motions of the roll 35 relative to the printing cylinder.By turning one of the studs 107 a greater or lesser distance than theother, it will be understood that a compensating adjustment forparallelism of the contact roll relative to the printing cylinder may beeffected.

From the above description it will be apparent that there is thusprovided a device of the character described possessing the particularfeatures of advantage before enumerated as desirable, but whichobviously is susceptible of modification in its form, proportions,detail construction and arrangement of parts without departing from theprinciple involved or sacrificing any of its advantages.

While in order to comply with the statute, the invention has beendescribed in language more or less specific as to structural features,it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the specificfeatures shown, but that the means and construction herein disclosedcomprises but one of several modes of putting the invention into effect.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

In a roll imprinter, a relatively stationary frame having an opening toreceive an inking assembly, a mounting plate for said assembly receivedin said opening for sliding movement relatively to said frame, a toothedrack on said plate, a shaft rotatably supported by said frame andextending in transverse adjacent relation to said rack, a pinion on saidshaft engaging said rack, a handle on one end of said shaft for manualoscillation of said shaft to effect to and fro movements of saidmounting plate, means on said frame adjustable positively to define avariable limit of motion of said mounting plate in one direction, saidlimit means includes a stop arm on said shaft, a stop member on saidframe engageable by said arm, and means for releasably securing saidstop member in multiple positions of adjustment relatively to saidframe.

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